Falling in Love
by ebullience
Summary: A love story. Pure fluff. [1xR]


Falling in Love

by Ebullience

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

_Real love stories never have endings. - Richard Bach_

* * *

Relena's eyebrow twitched, and the steady, rhythmic tapping of her pen quickly became erratic as her hopes of the old monotonous diplomat having a sudden heart attack were crushed. He continued, quite unaware of the multitude of different deaths she had thought out specifically for him. She had always been tolerant, and more patient than most people her age - they most likely would have stamped their feet, and screamed in frustration. But no, Relena didn't have that choice, and so she continued her suffering in silent agony.

Relena turned upon hearing a quiet tap on the large, sliding windows behind her. Nothing there. She listened closely. Silence. Nothing but the droning voice of the balding representative from some distant colony. She sighed, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her, and turned back. The tap came again. Relena abruptly shot up from her chair, cutting his speech short. "May I please be excused? I have some urgent matters I must attend to."

He jerked back suddenly, seemingly caught of guard, and he cleared his throat before replying"Of course, Vice Foreign Minister Darlian. We shall continue without you."

"Good day to you all" Relena acknowledged each politician with the respect her position had instilled in her, and giddily left the conference room. It could've been her imagination, but it seemed to her that the others in there had glared at her in envy. She ran, high-heels clicking across the marble floor, echoing loudly in the vast space. She ignored the stares and astonished looks that followed her. There had to be a time when she didn't have to keep her composure - when she was allowed to relive the childhood she had missed. And she couldn't care less who saw her.

She pushed, emitting a soft grunt as the towering white doors of the mansion gave way, and sunlight met her eyes for the first time in what seemed like months. She squinted, using her hand to shield her vision from the blinding light. The summer heat was moist and tepid and she unbuttoned her stifling suit to reveal a light summer dress she had been wearing underneath. The world had never looked so beautiful. She smiled. Freedom.

Remembering what she had set out to do, she kicked off her heels and started to run again to the back of the mansion, through the neatly trimmed grass and into her private garden. If one could see her, barefoot, beauty clothed in a white dress, they might think her an illusion their minds had made up to balance out the ugliness of the world. The daffodils she had planted just weeks before seemed to welcome her as she stepped through her gates of paradise. Varieties of flowers from all over the world were planted there. It was a haven for love. A bee wafted drunkenly on a slight breeze and came to rest of a tulip. Small waterfalls had been created at her request and its water was so clear it reflected like a mirror. And there he was. She grinned like the Cheshire cat and made her way along the dirt path towards him.

Relena approached the old tree, comforted by its shade and sat on a swing Heero had made for her birthday the year before. It was made from vines and wood and love, and hung from the thickest branch of an oak tree. He had braided exotic blue flowers that matched her eyes into the vines, and had set a white stuffed bear on the swing for tradition. She was now the proud owner of five differently coloured bears, four of which sat on a shelf overlooking her bed. The worn, brown one he had given her first lay respectfully on her bed, a quiet listener to her daily troubles when there was nobody to talk to.

In the early days when she had been a teenager in the throes of first love, no one had told her how much it could hurt. The days when Heero refused to love her were the days she had to learn to be self-reliant and unyielding. She had almost given up when she had woken up one night to his hand brushing her hair from her face. He had blushed furiously, the only time she had ever seen him blush. She had questioned him, and he had said that he watched her sleep because it soothed him. He told her that he had been sneaking in from her balcony and watching her sleep for nearly a year.

She remembered sitting cross-legged from him on her bed, telling him for the first time that she loved him. He had not responded for a long time, and her heart had wrenched in pain. Then he had taken her in his arms and told her that he wasn't good enough for her. She couldn't stop the tears. Relena remembered weeping, convincing him that things like that were unimportant in love. He had spoken softly, still holding her, asking her why she loved him. She had spoken to him till the dawn rose.

The first time she had seen Heero jealous had been a frightening experience - for her suitor anyway. It had been a simple date Noin had forced her on, and he had proved to be interesting, charming, and smart. However, the tabloids got hold of the fact that the "Princess" had a new boyfriend, and twisted it into a full-blown engagement. Her love life made headlines on every newspaper in the world and Relena didn't step outside in fear of being bombarded by reporters. However, the respectable arrangement between her and the delegate boosted her popularity among the people, and she desperately needed a contract signed between the wary colony he acted for. Heero, up until this point, had been very understanding. The second time Relena met the representative, they had dinner at an expensive lobster restaurant. A mysterious shooter attacked and shot him right between his glasses, shattering the lens. He had fainted, and Relena had glared at the smirking gunman lurking in the shadow. It happened again, and again, every time Relena met with him. Curiously enough, one day, the newspapers were quiet, the contract was signed, and it was never brought up again.

Now, Heero leant on the trunk of the tree, beside her, protecting her. She knew he was always protecting her - she slept peacefully at night and was carefree in the day. Her belief in him was strong - so strong it unnerved those close to her. "What if he doesn't come one day, what will happen? Will you stand there and die" they asked her frequently. And she would always tell them serenely that that time would never come. They would shake their heads at her naiveté, and she would shake her head at their ignorance.

She thought of the meeting then, and of how in the past he would call her out during meetings and political affairs to tell her he loved her. She rocked on the swing gently, wheat blonde hair falling softly behind her, feeling his eyes on her. She knew he was always there.

"Thank you, Heero." She looked him in his blue eyes searchingly. "You always seem to know my limits."

"You have no limits, Relena."

Relena smiled affectionately. They were not young anymore; they were almost adults. But their love was fresh and as youthful as it had been when it had first bloomed. Their bond had strengthened through the years and he had learned to open his heart to her. And in return she had worn her heart on her sleeve, displaying her soul to him and risking everything. He still lacked conversational skills, but he knew what to say when it counted, and that was all she'd ever wished for. She didn't need advice or lectures, she needed someone to stand by her when she lost her strength. She needed honesty, and an escape from the realities of life. Without him, she would have been suffocated by her responsibilities and forgotten how to laugh.

She looked to the azure sky and a cattle egret flew overhead, its wings stretching to its full extent. The overwhelming urge to doze into an easy slumber came over her and she closed her eyes to the chorus of birds and wind. Heero watched her lovingly, his impassionate face softening as it did whenever she was near. She heard the shuffling of feet and when the warm, familiar scent of him drifted to her, she opened her eyes to see him looking down on her. She smiled.

Her rocking slowed to a stop as she dragged her feet in the ground and he held her head to his, touching noses and looking in each other eyes. It was a habit he had developed over time, wanting to convey the message of wanting to be closer to her, yet not knowing how to express it in words. Relena thought it was adorable. It was the intimate moments they shared that touched her heart.

"I love you, you know" she whispered. It was meant to be playful and teasing, but it was real, and he could see the truth behind the laughter.

"I love you, too." His reply was urgent and low. He always was so serious when he said it that her heart flooded with the same tenderness she had felt the first time he had told her. Heero didn't take love lightly. He loved her firmly and truly and Relena knew she would rather die than betray his kind of love.

His head tilted for a kiss and she closed her eyes.

He had told her once that they were forever.

* * *

A.N. Hmm I wrote this a long time ago ) this is just a revised version. 


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